Ducks Digest

Oregon Picks up JUCO Punter Ross James Ahead of 2022 Season

Will Hutchinson handled all of the punting duties in the spring game and has since entered the transfer portal.

Max Torres

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Oregon has added a punter to its roster ahead of the 2022 season. 

Junior college punter Ross James has committed to the Ducks, he announced on Wednesday. 

Ross spent the 2021 season at East Central Community College (Decatur, Miss.). He appeared in nine games and punted 62 times totaling 2,514 yards (40.5 yards per punt). Prior to playing junior college ball, James spent his high school years at Hartfield Academy in Flowood, Miss. 

Of his 62 punts, two were touchbacks and 21 were pinned inside the 20-yard line, with a long of 63 yards. 

Punter has been a position to watch for Oregon in the spring, as veteran Tom Snee was not present during spring practice. Head Coach Dan Lanning said after the spring game that Snee was "away" from the program.

Oregon P Tom Snee

Tom Snee Arizona
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

Tom Snee punts in a game vs. the Arizona Wildcats.

Oregon P Will Hutchinson

Will Hutchinson Spring Game 2
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

Will Hutchinson punts in the Oregon spring game.

Oregon P Will Hutchinson

Will Hutchinson Spring Game Cropped
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

Will Hutchinson entered the transfer portal on May 2. 

Will Hutchinson filled in for Snee, punting for both the yellow and green teams in the spring game and turning in a respectable performance. However, Hutchinson has entered the transfer portal since the spring game on April 23, leaving Snee as the only punter on the roster.  

In the 2021 season Snee played an important role for the Ducks when the offense stalled. In 14 games, Snee punted 44 times for a total of 1,897 yards (43.1 yards per punt) and pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 17 times, a mark he's improved on in each of his three seasons at Oregon. 

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Max Torres
MAX TORRES

Max Torres is the publisher and lead editor of Ducks Digest. He's covered the Oregon football and recruiting beats for four years. He's based out of Long Beach, CA and travels around Southern California and the country covering top high school football prospects.

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